


With a Little Help From My Friends

by Moontyger



Category: Toaru Kagaku no Railgun | A Certain Scientific Railgun
Genre: Gen, References to the Level Upper Arc, Unethical Experimentation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-01
Updated: 2013-08-01
Packaged: 2017-12-22 01:23:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/907230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moontyger/pseuds/Moontyger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ruiko didn't expect much, not really.  Another rumor, maybe, or someone playing some sort of game with her.  But when she finally saw the message within, her eyes widened and her phone nearly slipped out of her hand.</p>
            </blockquote>





	With a Little Help From My Friends

**Author's Note:**

  * For [genarti](https://archiveofourown.org/users/genarti/gifts).



Ruiko was almost ready for bed when the message came in: teeth brushed and pajamas on, hand hovering over the light switch. When she heard her phone beep, she hesitated. What if it were important? Shouldn't she check and at least see who it was?

But no, that was being silly. She shook her head, long dark hair bouncing against her back, and laughed at herself. She was nobody – just a level 0 and not even in Judgment. No one would be messaging _her_ with anything important and especially not at this time of night.

Reassured, she went to bed with a light heart. It was probably just spam. Time enough to delete it in the morning.

* * *

By morning, of course, she'd forgotten all about it. It wasn't until classes had been over for hours and she'd picked up her phone to text Uiharu at the Judgment office that she noticed she had an unread message. “That's weird,” she said to herself. “No sender.”

Ruiko almost deleted it, but her curiosity got the better of her at the last second. Well, curiosity and that sense she had that always seemed to tell her when something was up.

She didn't expect much, not really. Another rumor, maybe, or someone playing some sort of game with her. But when she finally saw the message within, her eyes widened and her phone nearly slipped out of her hand.

Aurolius Ability Development Seminars!  
Tired of being left behind but don't want to join Skill Out?  
Don't give up – there is another way! Come to our seminars and activate your true potential!

It was an ad, just as she'd thought, but that didn't explain why her hands were shaking. Ruiko closed her eyes and took a deep breath. There was no reason to panic. This wasn't something like the Level Upper, or at least it didn't have to be. Probably it was nothing more than more supplementary lessons, only these weren't required.

Still, even if it was probably nothing but an ad, she closed her phone without sending her intended text and started toward the Judgment office. It wouldn't hurt to mention it, just in case.

* * *

Uiharu, however, didn't seem to think it was nothing. “Saten-san! This...!”

By the time she'd arrived, Ruiko had convinced herself she'd overreacted, but seeing Uiharu's alarmed face worried her all over again. She kept her smile on and her tone casual when she replied, though – she hated seeing Uiharu worried. “What? Have you seen something like this recently? Did you get one?”

Uiharu shook her head, but her expression hadn't changed. “No, and that's strange. If it's a mass text, shouldn't I have received it, too?”

“Huh. I never thought of that,” Ruiko admitted. “Still, it's probably nothing, right? The Level Upper was destroyed and Banri-chan and her classmates are all awake now. Nothing to worry about.”

“Maybe so,” Uiharu replied, but her jaw was set. She wasn't going to drop it so easily. “But if it's nothing, then there's no harm in looking into it a little farther – starting with who sent this text and who else they sent it to.”

“Do you think you can find out?” Ruiko leaned over, close enough that she could smell the flowers in Uiharu's hair, and watched as she began to type.

“I'll start with the obvious.” Back straight, Uiharu stared intently at the screen, ignoring Ruiko's closeness entirely. “Academy City is a closed city. Businesses here all have to register. If Aurolius Development exists, it'll be listed.”

“And there it is! But if it's registered, why is the sender on the text message blank?”

“I don't know, but there's an address here. Let me call Shirai-san and we can go check it out.”

“Me, too?” It wasn't that she didn't want to go, of course, but she wasn't part of Judgment.

“Oh yes, please, Saten-san. You were the one who received the text.”

* * *

The Aurolius Development offices were clean, modern, and completely nondescript. The bland waiting room with its fake leather couches and cream walls could have belonged to anything from a law office to a research firm.

The receptionist herself was just as bland, an office lady in a navy suit just like any other, but at least her smile was bright and she looked directly at the girls, rather than over their heads like adults so often did. “Hello, girls. How can I help you today?”

“Well,” Uiharu began, then hesitated, cheeks reddening in embarrassment. 

Ruiko glanced at her, then back at Shirai-san, then stepped in front of them both and held out her phone so the receptionist could see the open text message. Konori-senpai had suggested they go simply as Ruiko's friends rather than as Judgment, pointing out that if Aurolius were up to something, they'd hardly be likely to simply admit it. It made sense, but had obviously left the other two uncertain how to handle the situation. “I received this last night and I was wondering if I could ask for some more information.”

Uiharu spoke up then, making her way to Ruiko's side. “And we were wondering why we didn't get one.”

“Oh, yes. You've been selected for our Ability Development program – congratulations!” It hadn't seemed possible, but the smile she gave Ruiko now was even brighter than before. Whatever this program was, this woman seemed to believe in it wholeheartedly. Either that, or she was a great actress. “We sent those texts to those with a demonstrated interest in improving their ability levels.”

“You mean those who used the Level Upper.” Shirai-san's statement was blunt enough that Ruiko winced. Did she have to say it like that? Ruiko knew it couldn't be secret, not here in Academy City. It would probably always be part of her file, but that didn't mean she liked being reminded. It had been such a stupid thing to do!

“Yes, that's right.” The receptionist looked a little surprised, but she hadn't lost her smile. If she found it to be an uncomfortable subject or something to be embarrassed about, it didn't show. “Not only do we believe they'd be the most interested in our seminars, they'll also find them more effective.”

“More effective?” Uiharu asked. She sounded interested now; Ruiko could almost see her thinking even as she stood there, pondering how that might be possible.

“Yes. The Level Upper showed you your true potential, but didn't show you how to get there on your own. That's where we come in.”

“And it's really just seminars?” Surely there had to be more to it. If that was all, their regular classes should be enough.

“I'm afraid so. They might be a little boring and it won't work as quickly as the Level Upper. But we believe you'll be very pleased with the results.”

They asked a few more questions, but just as they'd expected, they didn't get any better answers. They were quiet as they left, their footsteps echoing on the glossy fake-marble floors the only sound until the doors were safely shut behind them.

“It looks like I'm going to have to go if I want to find out what it's really about.”

“But that could be dangerous! Are you sure you want to?”

Ruiko looked away, watching the dusk slowly falling over the city for a moment before she replied. Uiharu was right; this could be dangerous. She didn't know what she was getting into. But she wasn't afraid. All she could think about was the way she felt when she first used her ability, right after using the Level Upper. “I don't mind,” she answered finally, and she could feel herself smiling. Probably it wouldn't work. That was the most likely outcome; she wouldn't fool herself thinking otherwise. But oh, what if it did?

And if it were all just another cruel trick? Then it was better they found out about it now, before it reached a crisis point. Before people were hurt.

She gave the two Judgment members a confident grin. “Anyway, there's nothing to be afraid of. If I end up in trouble, you'll get me out.”

* * *

Dusk was falling once again when she left the first seminar, but the heat of the day still lingered. Summer wasn't far behind them and you couldn't tell that they'd moved into autumn at all from the weather, at least not yet.

Despite the heat, Ruiko was surprised to find the others all waiting for her: Uiharu, Shirai-san, and even Misaka-san were all sprawled on a bench just across the street from the Aurolius Development offices. From the looks of it, they'd been there the whole time.

Misaka-san saw her first. Shirai-san was doing her best to casually lean on her shoulder, but she shoved her away carelessly as she jumped to her feet and waved. “Saten-san! Over here!”

Grinning, Ruiko walked over. It hadn't been necessary, but it was still nice to see that they'd all been waiting, just in case something went wrong.

“Well, how was it?” Uiharu asked, coming closer and looking her over anxiously.

“Uh, well. She was right – it was kind of boring. I fell asleep during part of it.” Ruiko blushed a little and laughed, then took advantage of Uiharu's nearness to flip up her skirt. “Oh, nice – blue flowers!” She'd rather see her friend embarrassed than worried and it served as a nice distraction.

“Only you could fall asleep during something like that!” Uiharu scolded, cheeks pink as she held her skirt down with both hands.

“You're right; you're right. Sorry.”

She'd apologized, but she didn't really mean it. After all, it had worked: the mood was much lighter, almost celebratory, as they walked off toward the family restaurant together. But all during dinner, she could still occasionally feel Uiharu's thoughtful gaze when she thought Ruiko wasn't looking.

* * *

“I think there's something suspicious about those seminars.” It had been six weeks since Saten-san went to the first one and Kazari thought she'd been silent long enough.

“Like what? Saten-san always just says they're boring.” Shirai-san's words might sound skeptical, but she was listening. Someone else might not have taken Uiharu seriously, but her Judgment partner knew better. If she thought there was something wrong, there probably was.

“That's just it. She also says she falls asleep every time. Doesn't that seem a little strange?” Kazari toyed with the spoon in her parfait as she spoke, repeatedly lifting it and letting it fall again. “And she seems tired all the time. Today she even fell asleep in class. She's never done that before.”

“Maybe the seminars are more exhausting than boring and she doesn't want to tell us?” Misaka-san looked thoughtful, but it was hard to tell if the worry in her eyes was for Kazari or Saten-san.

“Why would she hide something like that?”

“Maybe,” Shirai-san suggested, “she doesn't know. Maybe they put them all to sleep so they can do sleep-training, so she's working without realizing it.”

“If that's all it is, then I guess it's okay, though they should be honest about what they're doing. But I want to know for sure.” Kazari could feel her cheeks heating with the force of her determination as she lifted her gaze to meet Shirai-san's.

She'd looked to Shirai-san, but it was Misaka-san who answered. “All right. We'll sneak into the next one and take a look. If they're doing anything suspicious, we'll put a stop to it.”

“Oh, no, you won't, _onee-sama_. If they're doing something, it's a matter for Judgment. You'll stay out of it.” 

Reassured, Kazari finished her parfait while they argued. This time, Saten-san would be fine.

* * *

The night of the next seminar, Kazari found it hard to keep still. She'd been distracted all day and it had been hard to not tell Saten-san what was going on, but she didn't want to say anything yet. It was still possible she was wrong and she'd hate to ruin it if it were just something harmless like sleep-training.

She didn't usually go along for this sort of thing either, but she'd refused to stay behind. If Saten-san were in danger, she wanted to be there to help her, even if she weren't sure what she'd be able to do. Still, she was glad Shirai-san had lost her argument. Maybe having Misaka-san short out the security systems and cameras was more risky, but Kazari didn't really like being teleported.

The reception area was dark now, only a few emergency lights left on. The seminars might be going on, but this part of the business was closed. Remembering the way their footsteps had sounded on their previous visit, they'd all taken off their shoes, as though this were someone's home instead of an office. The floor was cold even through her socks and a little slippery, but it was better than risking alerting anyone who might be lingering nearby.

Kazari couldn't suppress a shiver at the thought and she glanced nervously back at the reception desk, but it was still empty, a hulking but ineffectual guardian, incapable of stopping them as they slipped past into the corridors beyond.

There, the floors were carpeted, and they all paused to put their shoes back on. If anything happened, they needed to be able to run.

“We go to the end of this hall, then take a left. Then it's the door at the end,” Kazari whispered. Assuming the floor plan she'd found was correct, but she'd seen nothing to suggest it wasn't so far. Cautiously, they made their way there, past a hallway of closed doors. A couple of them had lights visible underneath the doors, but if there were people still working inside, they didn't seem to notice anything wrong.

The door at the end of the other hall was more accurately doors: big wooden double doors that were made to be pushed open. They stopped there, looked at each other and nodded. Kazari squeezed her eyes shut as Shirai-san wrapped her arms loosely around her waist and teleported her into the room. They hadn't wanted to risk the noise of the door opening, nor the chance that someone might see it move, so they'd agreed this would be best. Hopefully they could go unnoticed long enough to see what was really going on.

This was the uncertain part, however: they hadn't been sure what the room looked like or what they'd find inside. Kazari shivered a little, trying to make herself small while Shirai-san went back for Misaka-san.

She was at the very back of a large auditorium. A screen at the front was showing some kind of film, but it didn't take her long to dismiss it as unimportant. The lights in here were as dim as those in the reception area, but she could still make out the burgundy theater seats that nearly filled the room – the seats and those in them. 

As she'd suspected, they were all asleep. They all had some sort of device fitted over their heads, too. It looked something like headphones, but larger and heavier. The three girls glanced at each other. Maybe it was sleep-training after all?

With all these sleeping people, the room was nearly silent. They didn't dare speak, but Kazari wasn't about to leave until she was certain. She couldn't see Saten-san from here, but she knew she was in there, lost among all the others. 

Careful to stay as low as she could, she crept forward and looked more closely at the nearest device. Up close, it looked even more like headphones, but it was connected to electrodes affixed to the forehead of the teenage boy wearing them. Holding her breath, she pulled one side away from his ear and leaned in, trying to listen.

She heard nothing but the crackle of static.

Still moving slowly, she crept back to meet the others by the door.

“They're all connected to a computer system of some kind,” Misaka-san whispered once she'd joined them. “It's somewhere behind the screen – probably just out of sight.”

“But what could they be doing?” Despite her field experience, Shirai-san sounded tense.

“What if...” Kazari hesitated, unsure if what she was thinking were even possible. But it had to be, didn't it? What else would explain this? “What if the brainwave network created by the Level Upper still existed, at least in potential? What if they found a way to re-create and use it, without sending everyone into comas?”

“So they're using them to do computations?”

“Yes.” Kazari nodded, feeling more certain by the minute.

“Using them without even asking.” Misaka-san's expression was hard as she turned to stare at the room full of sleeping low-powered espers, unaware of what was being done to them. “Come on, Kuroko. We're putting a stop to this.”

“Shouldn't we call Anti-Skill? You know what happened last time.”

“Call them, but we're going ahead.” Misaka-san grabbed Shirai-san's hand and they both vanished.

Kazari had barely lifted her phone when she heard shouting and the crack of thunder. The screen went dark and smoke billowed out from behind it. She dialed with shaking fingers as even the dim lights in the room went out.

In many voices that were somehow also one voice, the whole room screamed.

In the pitch black of the auditorium, Kazari missed most of what followed. She didn't really mind. She wasn't much good in a fight and the exact course of events didn't really matter.

What mattered was after: after Anti-Skill arrived, after the fire had been put out.

Saten-san was smudged with soot. Her uniform skirt had a long tear up the side and somewhere she'd lost a shoe. She looked exhausted, too: her skin paler than usual and huge dark rings under her eyes, but she gave Kazari her usual grin when she saw her. “What did I tell you? I knew I had nothing to be afraid of.”


End file.
